Delicate health problems 'may dampen Christmas cheer'

One in three women may be at risk of an uncomfortable Christmas because of delicate health problems, research suggests.

A survey commissioned by the manufacturers of constipation remedy Senokot found that one in three women have had a special occasion such as Christmas day ruined as a result of problems such as diarrhoea, constipation or period pains.

Such problems are common, with over half of the 1,078 adults involved in the research being affected at least once over the past year.

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Many suffer in silence as more than half of women admitted that they would hide something like constipation from their partner or friends.

Claire McCormack, spokeswoman for Senokot, commented: 'Suffering from constipation or other similar health complaints should not been seen as embarrassing because it is very common, with half of women suffering constipation during their lifetime.

'This is why we feel it is crucial to encourage women to feel at ease to talk about such health problems.'

While diarrhoea is usually not serious and clears up in a couple of days, people with persistent loose bowel movements should contact their GP, particularly if the patient is elderly or aged between three months and one year.

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